Came over to London on Thursday with a few of my young cousins, mainly to catch a couple of Tottenham Hotspur games. We were playing a UEFA Cup match on Thursday night. We were awful in the first half, as bad as I've seen us play for quite a long while, and went two goals down -- but then we turned things around completely and won 3-2!!!! It was bizarre but beautiful! On Friday I took the bosy around some shops, then we went to see "Spamalot". I'd seen it before, on Broadway, with its original cast. I have to say I didn't think it was great second time round. Funny, yes, with some good, jokey songs -- but a bit long, and not so funny that I burst out laughing too often. It's by no means a bad play, but I think it's only done as well as it has beecause of the love people have for Monty Python.

On Saturday I took the boys ice skating (I just watched -- I have a terrible sense of balance!!!) and then, after a nice walk along the river and quick pop into the Tate Modern, to see "Avenue Q". Now THAT is funny!!!! This is the third time I've seen it, and I still think it's brilliant and laugh all the time! What's so great about it is that, OK, it's a rude show about puppets who swear and have sex and do all sorts of bad things -- but at the same time it's a light, warm-hearted, uplifting show, and you leave with a big smile on your face and a feeling that the world isn't such a bad place. There are a few shows in London which I class as must-sees, and have been to on 3 or more occasions. "Phantom of the Opera", "Les Miserables" and "Blood Brothers" are my top 3 pics out of them -- but "Avenue Q" is right up there with them too!!!!

On Sunday, after a game of bowling in County Hall and brunch, we went to see Spurs play Birmingham. We played much better this time ... in fact very well indeed ... but somehow we lost 3-2!!!!! Football -- it's a mug's game!!!

Oh, and while I remember, about my books "not maturing with their readers" ... This was a comment from someone on my message boards. It was a rather rambling comment overall, with much that I swiftly ignored (heh heh), but that one part of it made me want to reply. The person was 18ish and complaining that my books weren't giving them the same buzz that they did when s/he was younger. S/he wanted me go further with the books, to appeal to those readers who've been with me for a number of years and now want MORE. S/he even accused me of "betraying my original fans". (I suppose to should react hotly to ludicrous, over the top comments like that, but I've made plenty of ludicrous, OTT comments myself on many occasions, so I'm not one to cast stones!!)

Well, the simple answer, as one fan pointed out in reply to the message, is that (hold the front page!! world exclusive revelation on the way!!!!) ...well ... they're children's books. Um. I think that pretty much gives the game away. To put it another way -- They're. books. written. for. children. Heh heh -- I know how sarcastic that sounds, but, honestly, it's not meant to me. I remember writing an angry letter to the people who make the comic 2000AD. I became a huge fan when I was 12 or 13 and collected it without missing an issue for several years. But then I started to read Watchmen, Killing Joke, Love & Rockets and others, and they went much further than 2000AD ever did. They worked on all sorts of darker, more adult levels, and I wanted 2000AD to do the same, to go on a journey with them, to appeal to the more developed teenager that I had become. "By heavens," I wrote (and I'm paraphrasing here!!), "this reads like a comic written for 12-14 year olds!!!" The good folks of 2000AD never wrote back to me, but if they had, their answer probably would have been (and should have been), "Well, you presumptuous idiot, it is!!!!!"

Look, I appreciate each and ever one of you guys. That should be clear from the amount of time I spend on my blog, updating my site, replying to your letters, etc. I know there are hundreds of other writers you could be reading, or films or TV shows you could be watching, or computer games you could be playing, instead of reading my books. But it's impossible to cater to the changing demands of each and every one of you. I do my best on each book. I try to evolve and do different things with story structures and plot line and characters. I go to some very dark places and sometimes push at the boundaries of what is acceptable in a children's book. But at the end of the day, when all's said and done, they ARE for children. Older children, to be sure, but children nevertheless. I've been called Stephen King For Kids in the past, and have said in numerous interviews that I like to see myself as a kind of bridge to adult horror and fantasy, that I hope my fans go on to read the likes of King, Clive Barker, Raymond E Feist, etc.

But "go on" are the key words there. Most of you reading this WILL "go on" to other writers, or will just stop reading so much at some stage. Most of you WILL grow up and leave my books behind and look for more challenging, darker , sophisticated material. Some of you reading that might very well go, "No! It isn't so! I'm your fan for life, and maybe even beyond!!!" Trust me -- many have said the same thing before you over the last 8 years, and with just a very few exceptions, virtually all of those have moved on from my little world now. I'm not sad about it. I don't feel upset or aggrieved when a fan decides (consciously or otherwise) that they've had enough of my books. That's life. It's something we all go through. We all hold flames close to our hearts for certain periods of our lives, then let them grow cold and cast them aside. I did it with 2000AD, with David Eddings, with TV soap opers, and loads more besides. I'm sure that I'll do it again with certain writers and shows that I love now. We're constantly changing in life, becoming new people, developing new tastes and desires. That's not a bad thing -- indeed, I think it's the very core of being human, and the thing that drives us on to be the species we are.

I try and do a lot with my Darren Shan books, and I like to think I do. I've gone places other children's writers never went (and maybe won't go again!). No matter how simply they're written, there's an air of sophistication and complexity to the books (count the number of characters in The Saga, or the number of themes covered, or genres played with; study the structure of The Demonata as it becomes clearer (and, as an aside, although lots of you love to tell me how you see every twist I write coming in advance, nobody has yet written to me to say they've spotted what that structure is -- six-tenths of the way through, and I've managed to keep the shape of the series a mystery from all of you!! though not for much longer methinks ...)). I think long and hard about these, spend at least two years working on every novel, and do the very best I can with them.

But they're still children's books, and always will be. I know I have lots of adult fans, and I hope to keep some of you entertained for a while longer if you're willing to go along with my on my somewhat restricted journeys.  But I don't write for you guys, just as I don't write for the 6 and 7 year olds who read my books (and, yes, there are a few!!). I write for those between, those torn between the worlds of childhood and adulthood, those who go to school but are moving towards the adult world beyond, those who are ready to ask questions of the world, of life, of themselves, of the universe, who want to have fun but who also want to be made think. My books DO mature (The Saga developed a lot between Cirque Du Freak and Sons of Destiny), and The Demonata is maturing too, as the characters grow older and learn more. But I'm not interested in letting those characters grow beyond a certain point, because that would make the series a rough ride for the fans who started out with the earlier books. We're all on journeys through life -- but what you have to realise is that you're going to journey with very many people along the way, and very few (probably none) of those are going to be with you all the time. For me, writers and stories are all interconnected. It's irrelevant if, coming of a certain age, you decide to cast my children's books aside and move on to someone else. There are places I can't go with you, areas I can't explore with you ... at least, not as Darren Shan.

As D B Shan, however (to finish on a nice self-promoting note!!!), I can go as far as you like,and probably a hell of a lot further than you'd wish!!! So all you older Shansters and adults out there, make sure you watch out for Procession of the Dead in March 2008!!!!!!!!

The numbers of fans who have become MySpace friends with me passed the 7000 mark today -- coolio!!! Of course that's not an entirely accurate number -- it includes spammers and people who maybe joined for a short time but don't check back any more. Still, it's nice to see the figures going increasingly up -- no chance of me feeling lonely with you lot around to cheer me up!!!!

Spent most of today working on the Shanville Monthly. It took a bit longer than normal because I had to set up a large, complex competition -- this is probably the last time I'll run 12 competitions simultaneously -- ai yi yi!!!!! Still, what was a pain in the posterior for me is good news for you guys, with loads of signed books up for grabs, covering fans in most of the globe. It was a good issue of the Monthly, I think -- I also reveal the title of Book 7 of The Demonata in it, for the first time anywhere!!!! To check it out, click here: SHANVILLE MONTHLY

I did want to write about a comment I received a few days ago, about my books not maturing at the same rate as my long-term fans, but it's late and I'm tired, so I'll leave that for another blog. I'm just putting this in to remind myself, or else it'll slip my mind!!! I don't plan these blogs out in advance (as you've probably noticed!!!). There are no firm themes running through them on a day-to-day basis. I simply decide what to write each night that I sit down at my PC, sometimes recording what I've been up to that day, sometimes responding to something I read or saw or a fan said. Maybe it would be a better blog if I thought more clearly about it and took a direct line of approach. But, hell, I quite like the chaos of it, and I think it gives you a better idea of what I'm actually like. With my books, I'm always a shadowy figure, giving my characters as much space as possible, not getting in the way whenever I can help it. And in interviews I put on my Darren Shan front, focusing on the books most of the time. It's only really here that you get glimpses of what life is like away from that world, and what passes through my thoughts when I'm not applying them to writing. You'll never get a complete picture of me, of course -- this isn't about laying myself bare and exorcising all my inner demons (assuming I have any!) in public. But I think this comes pretty close.

Right -- I'm rambling!!! Time to stop and head up to bed. Might not be blogging tomorrow (I'm going to London to see a Spurs game), but I'll see you all back here soonish.

Added some new photos to my web site today -- you can check them out by going to the DARREN SHAN SITE and clicking on the PHOTOS link. Then spent a large part of the day buying Christmas presents online. Computers have made Xmas shopping a whole lot easier than it used to be -- I was able to order most of my gifts online, which saves me the hassle of having to huff and puff around the place looking for them! It's not so bad if you live in a town or city, but when you live in the countryside like I do, Christmas shopping can be a curse!!! My Christmas cards also came today (Bas and I always design our own every year), so I'll probably start filling those out later, meaning it's been a highly festive day all round!!!

Watched the last four episodes of season 3 of Deadwood. I'd normally have spaced them out more, but it sucked me in and I just HAD to watch on!!! It was an excellent season overall, though I was somewhat disappointed in the final episode. The entire season had been leading up to a huge climax which never actually came -- instead it just fizzled out quietly. A pity, as I was looking forward to gun fights, massacres and blood aplenty. Oh well -- as Mick Jagger once so aptly put it, "You can't always get what you want!!!!!"

Read a fascinating article in the latest issue of National Geographic, all about memory and how the brain functions. I already knew that the brain was a mysterious organ, but it was enlightening to learn just how little we really know about it, how it works, its potential, the way it processes input and records or doesn't record memories. There was one old man who is incapable of recording new memories -- he lives solely in the present, sometimes eating breakfast three times in a morning because he has no recollection of having eaten! Yet on some level his brain functions normally -- he can go for a walk in his neighbourhood and find his way back home every time; he doesn't remember any of his neighbours consciously, but he knows he should feel comfortable around them, as he would with friends. There was another lady who can remember every day of her life since about the age of 10 or 11 -- if you ask her what she watched on TV on a certain day 30 years ago, she can tell you!!! Those of you who have read Bec will know why that bit intrigued me so much!

Memory, the brain, and experience of time have always captivated me. I get asked all the time "Where do your ideas come from?" But I can never give an interesting answer because the question that needs to be answered first, and which nobody can answer properly, is "Where do IDEAS come from?" Conscious thought - and imagination on any level - is an incredible achievement. Awareness of time, the past, the future, death ... the mind boggles when we try to analyse these capabilities. In some strange ways we know more about the world and the universe than we do about our own minds. We're like a computer that has been programmed to react to input in certain ways. But computers don't KNOW that they've been programmed. They're not self-aware. YET. Maybe they will be one day. Maybe they'll evolve. And maybe that's how we started out, programmed by a higher force, aliens, the universe ... who knows?!?

We explore our minds as best we can, probing for answers in a variety of ways. Science is one way, of course, but I believe literature is another, and perhaps offers far more insights than science ever will. I have a theory that mankind's growth and evolution can directly be linked to the story-telling process, that our brains have developed through use, by making up stories. Imagine it -- primitive man, sitting in a cave late at night, wondering what's outside in the darkness. If he only ever thought of real answers -- bears, tigers, other people -- I think we'd still be sitting in caves, not much more advanced than any other species. But by using his imagination ... picturing monsters or demons or giant animals ... putting himself into stories where he had to use more than his common wits to survive ... learning to weave memories and facts into those stories ... passing on his knowledge to his children through stories, and interacting with them that way ...

That's where I think society as we know it really got going. Stories are what propelled us forward, what still drive us on. They're at the heart of who we are and how we came this far. If we're to go further, it will be because our imaginations demand it. If our brains develop even more, it will be because we bombard them with stories and demand more of them. We advance when we rise to meet challenges, but the world can only challenge us to a limited extent. Stories, on the other hand, can keep the challenges coming, generation after generation, each more advanced and demanding than the one before. I don't fully understand where those stories come from -- nobody does -- but I'm sure they're the key to unlocking the mysteries of our minds, and from there the universe. And after that? Well, I'm willing to bet there's even more to discover. The thing about stories is, they never end. There's no stop to them. And the next one always has to be bigger and better than the ones before if it's to entertain and enlightened and intrigue.

Memories and stories. They're the building blocks of who we are and whatevr we might go on to achieve. Don't ever forget it!!!!!

Finished my latest edit of Book 9 of The Demonata on Saturday. I'm much happier with it now -- it's taken four drafts, but I finally think I've knocked it into shape and found a way to bring pace and excitement to the slower, exposition-heavy sections. The problems of the ninth book have been bugging me for most of the last year, so I'm glad to (hopefully) have finally sorted them out!!

Went out to my local pubs last night. I don't go out drinking locally very often -- I'm not a heavy drinker, and usually only drink if I'm at a football match or a concert. But it's nice to visit the local drinking establishments every now and then, meet some friends and family, and savour the atmosphere.

Spent today updating areas of my site, adding reviews and interviews. There haven't been many reviews of Demon Apocalypse yet (a downside to releasing a book just four months after another is that most reviewers opt to ignore it -- they don't like reviewing the same author too often!), but I found several reviews of Blood Beast which I was able to add. As with the other books in the series, almost all the reviews have been glowing. I thought, way back when Lord Loss was getting ready to see the light of day, that critics would absolutely hate these gory, gruesome, fast-paced, death-filled books. How wrong I was!!!

I received 3 emails today which tickled my interest, set me thinking and prompted me to reply -- most unusual!!! Here they are, slightly edited, in the order that they came in. First, from Janette Micklewright in England:

I have been introduced to and practically force fed your books by my neice. Its not often that I get into a whole series of books, least of all childrens literature, but I have become a fan, old though I may be, and I am writing to say that I think it's wonderful that Cirque is going to become a movie. Not sure about John C Reilly playing Larten, although he is a fine actor - I suppose everyone has their own mental picture of Larten. I am sure the makeup people will do the rest! I hope it will be a great success for you.

I am currently reading Demon Apocalypse and if you ever find someone able to play Lord Loss and Artery in a film, I very much doubt you will get a PG rating.  It's a fabulous book (the whole series actually) and I am thrilled that Bec is in the story as Bec was my favourite to date. You give your child characters an adult awareness of sorrow and the need to take responsibility in situations where they must stand and not run away. Your characters face heavy responsibilities and I think they give good messages to your younger (and not so young) readers.

Alice (my neice) has been terrified of werewolves since she was at primary school, when some little charmer in the playground told her they were real and could tear her to pieces - you must be some storyteller to get her to read your work and I can't thank Grubbs enough!

Janette isn't the first to ask about a Demonata film. At the moment there aren't any plans to turn the books into a movie. To be honest, I'm in two minds whether I'd like to see it adapted or not. As Janette points out, it would be VERY hard to make a kid's film out of Lord Loss and its sequels! You can get away with a lot in books that you just can't do in a movie. If a movie maker was to keep even a fifth of the gore in this series, it would still be an 18 Cert film in the UK or an R in the USA!!! So what, if someone ever tries to make it, will be the answer? Carefully trim the gore? Allude to violence rather than show it? Make it an adult's movie, perhaps turning Grubbs into an older teenager or even a grown-up? I'm not sure. I'll obviously be interested if a movie company comes to me with a plan, and I'd take their views into careful consideration, but for the time being I'd have to say I'm in no rush to see these books filmed -- I think they might be just too damn demonic for Hollywood!!!! Then again, wouldn't it be wonderful if some skilled team proved me wrong ...

Next up, Megan Smith-Foster from Canada:

I love your series. I'm an avid reader of Stephen King, a well-known and renowned horror novelist, so I do know what it taks for a book to be scary. Your books certainly have what it takes. I've finished five of your books from "The Demonata" in less than a week; I was addicted, and when I saw the "to be continued..." in cryptic italics, I screamed and shook the book (just thought you should know). I rarely see other authors write in the first person so fluidly, and those who do - coughAnneRicecough - don't have the same hold on a character's persona, and maintain it, as you can/do.

I'm actually an author upstart myself, and I'm not going to push a story on you (I hear most authors absolutely hate that, and if I were you, I'd be no exception), but seeing the creativity, the morbid fascination you inspire in readers (since I've begun reading, I've been dropping hints about "Lord Loss"s plot, I got my friend addicted as well!) and clearly have yourself, makes it easier for me to have my ideas out there. My parents have read my pilot beginnings for my books, and they threatened to take me to a psychologist, wondering why a 14, 15, 16 (my current age) year old girl would write such terrible, dark things. And that, as I'm sure you know, is the secret nobody knows; why we write the way we do. Are we twisted, ravenous, soon-to-be killers? Are we emotionally disturbed? Maybe. But mostly... it's intrigue. The thrill we get from reading a scary book, and, in the back of our minds, wondering if all this could possibly be real. But I'm rambling. Apologies.

But my point is, Mr Shan, that your books have inspired me to move past the worried parents, the possibility or threat that I will be told that I'm crazy, or disturbed, or something to that effect (I know when I started reading Stephen King, that REALLY didn't help). The world is strange that way; most humans can't accept the things we have not seen, nor cannot comprehend, and therefore, they shun what is different from the norm. You r take on human state of mind is so clear and consise, it makes me want to give myself a second analysis.

In short, I'd like to give you thanks. You've taken horror to a level some can only hope to comprehend or acheive, and, I BEG you, if you are to make a movie of your books, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DIRECT AND WRITE THE SCRIPT! I will not watch another movie that inaccurately portrays a book and its characters for the infuriating sake of 'time'.

Well, I won't be writing or directing the film of Cirque Du Freak, and it certainly WILL make big changes to the books, but as I've said often in my blogs, I think that's a good thing -- movies should reinvent their source material, not just copy it. Regarding Megan's gruesome stories, I told her (and her parents) not to worry. I wrote FAR darker, grislier, gorier stories when I was a teenager!!! I think a lot of teens go OTT on the gore front because at that stage you're probably not equipped to write a "good" story. But you want to make an impression, so you throw in anything you think will shake readers up. In later years, as your skills advance, you come to learn that less can be more, and cut down on the gore in order to give the characters more room to breathe. So any of you pushing the envelope of good taste, don't worry, you're not going crazy!!! And tell your parents not to worry either -- it's just a Teen Thing!!!!

Finally, Amy Beth Cesar, also from Canada:

I'm sure you're probably just sick of fan-mail by now, must get really monotonous, just thought i would bombard you with another! But that's neither here nor there, i have to say that you have an AMAZING collection of literature, and i am hooked. My good friend Gemmy explained a few main aspects of The Demonata series to me, mere mention of Lord Loss got me craving to read the series already. Sad, but i have a tendency to only read books on and off, because they disinterest me after awhile. However, my friend gave me the first book in this series, and i finished it in a few hours. I couldn't bear to rip my eyes off!

I am a huge fan of psychology in books, mysteries, and especially horror. The ones that make you think, or truly dig deep into your mind. Your characters have a profound nature to them... they are well thought out, and feel like real people to me. They are creative, and stand out to me... (especially the names!) and that is such a huge factor to me, i suppose. The characters make up the story, and it's what makes the story and gives it that profound "OOMPH!" to it.

My very favourite villain of any book i have ever read is Hannibal Lecter (Don't ask why a 16-year-old girl loves to read about cannibalistic criminal master-minds), despite any story, and movie, and book i have ever read, no one has ever come close to how much i loved his character. Until now that is, Lord Loss is so close to my favourite villain now, he's so different... there is more to him than meets the eye.

But anyways, past ripping my eyes out of your book, I don't normally sit here having a conniption, but i'm just so infatuated with your writings already, i can't help it. Please excuse me for that (I don't normally gush, but yeah!). Unlike my friend, i am not much of an author as she is... like i mentioned before, i am more attracted to characters. I build them very well, i just don't seem to make stories very well. Though i have an attraction with reading horror now, it often frightens my family, and causes them to think of me strangely. My mother comes across me reading When the Cicadas Cry, and she'll give me a strange glance before walking off. I'd love to indulge in the thought that i'm not crazy, but yet again, neither here nor there. Either way, you've proven to me that girls, and anyone, can love horror and the macabre without being thrown into an asylum.

But to conclude now, since i'm probably jut gabbing your ear off here. I  can hardly wait for the whole Demonata series to come out, and i can't wait to read the rest of your literature either. I just can't rip away from your stories. The combination of Magicians, a cursed Lycanthrope bloodline and demons, i just can't wait!

Hannibal the Cannibal is one of my favourite characters too!!! Though I hadn't made the connection before, I guess Lord Loss DOES share certain characteristics with him. What made Dr Lecter so memorable was his humanity. Yes, he was a clinical, genius killer, but there have been plenty of those before (going back to Professor Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes stories). What made him stand out was his relationship with Agent Starling, the strange feelings he had for her. In the midst of his evil ways, we sensed stirrings of love, someone who wasn't THAT different to us at his core, and I think that's why he freaked us out so much -- we were able to see shades of ourselves in him, and it's never comfortable when you realise that "There but for the grace of God go I!!"

My demons, as some fans have noted, are fairly one-dimensional. They live to kill -- simple as that. No grey areas, no underlying psychological motives, nothing fancy. That was deliberate -- I wanted them to be straight-up monsters, determined to destroy, beings you can't reason or plead with. But Lord Loss is the exception to the rule. His love of chess and human suffering intrigues us. Although he's clearly not human, and will never share our nobler sentiments (mercy, compassion, forgiveness, etc), he has certain human traits -- almost vices. We can see reflections of ourselves in the lowly demon master, and that draws us closer to him, and as we draw close we find ourselves repulsed, yes ... but also fascinated and, dare I suggest it, somewhat jealous? I mean, wouldn't we all like the total freedom of Hannibal Lecter or Lord Loss, the freedom to do anything we wished, to have no sense of guilt, to torture and kill the same way we'd brush our teeth or walk a dog? I think most of us feel a need to do the right thing, and a sense of contentment when we do. But down deep we know life would be easier and probably a lot more fun (on a vicious, inhuman level) if we abandoned our nobler ideals and ran wild. Most of us never do that, and it's RIGHT that we shouldn't. But that doesn't stop us thinking about it, or finding ourselves drawn to those in literature who have the freedom to go places we don't wish to really go to, but wish to somehow, in some distracted way, experience ...

Night night, people. And don't worry if your nightmares lead you down alleys dark and seductively menacing. There's nothing wrong with exploring such places ... as long as you only do it in your dreams ...

Watched England lose 3-2 to Croatia last night, meaning there will be NO team from these isles at the 2008 European Championship -- not England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland or Northern Ireland. That's the first time since 1984 that no country from these two islands has qualified for a major championship. Grim days indeed!!! While I'm first and foremost an Ireland fan, if we're not in a competition, I would always throw my support behind (or at least look on with interest) England or Scotland or whoever. This means I'll have no vested interest at all in the games next summer -- it will be a purely academic contest as far as I'm concerned. *SIGH*

On a more positive note, I got back to my normal editing ways this afternoon. I spent the early part of the day writing some new material for book 8 of The Demonata, but then it was back to simply editing, not re-writing. There might be another scene further down the line that I have to adjust, but I don't think so -- it looks like I might be in the clear for the rest of the book's run ...

Received the following very nice email from a teacher called Michelle in Canada:

I am a high school teacher in Oromocto, New Brunswick, Canada. I want you to know how much my students enjoy The Darren Shan Saga.  I've been using this series as a read aloud for the past two years with my grade 9's and 11's.  They cannot get enough, and each class starts with someone asking, "Are we reading Darren Shan today?"  A few students have sped by me and they are well ahead of the class in the series.

Many of the boys have told me that they had not read a complete novel until I introduced them to this series.  They are completely spellbound by your work.  I had to ask the librarian to buy the series for the school because they were in such high demand. I have even suggested to my babysitter's daughter that she read this saga as she is a reluctant reader herself; she is now on the second novel in the series.

As a parent and educator, I appreciate that you have written books that are highly interesting, but are innocent enough for young adults. Truly your work is magical. I have been known to read aloud in class for half an hour without a student making a sound - it's amazing the impact your books have on my students.

I have never been one to email authors, I figure you have a lot of fans and a lot on your plate, but I have never seen books become so popular in my 8 years of teaching. I felt it was necessary to contact you to express my gratitude for creating books that easily promote literacy in my classroom. Thanks again for sharing your talent with my students, and I wish you continued success.

Awwww ... I love it when an email like that pops through!!! I don't think any author ever gets so busy that they don't want to read feedback like this -- and more fool them if they do!!!! Success can distance you somewhat from your audience -- it might become impossible to reply to every email or letter, to go to every school which requests a visit -- but you should never let it drive a wedge between you. Responses like this are why I became a writer in the first place, and if all the money and trappings pass away (as they somtimes do), at least I'll have emails and letters like this to remember and come back to -- and ultimately I think that's what matters most. You shouldn't become a writer to makes loads of money and get famous -- you should do it in the hope of telling a story that will reach out and touch people. If you can do that, you've done all that any writer should ever ask or expect of themselves -- and anything after that is a bonus.

I started another edit of book 9 of The Demonata yesterday. This has been the most troublesome book of the series, by far. I'm trying to achieve the balance between imparting a lot of facts (which the book has to do) while keeping it pacy and entertaining at the same time. I came up short on previous drafts, but each one has been a bit better, and I've got some fresh angles to come at it from this time. Editing is normally quite easy for me, involving mostly tinkering about with what I've already written, trimming it down or sharpening it up slightly. But sometimes I have to re-write scenes or create new ones, and I never actively enjoy that. When I'm doing a first draft I fall into a certain mindset -- I know the book is going to take time, that I can't rush it, and I'm happy to take things day by day, page by page, churning out the words. I'm normally fairly patient when working on a first draft, content to put in the time it takes to write such a large amount of new material. But when I come to the editing process I like to move faster, to get into the flow of the story, to try and see what readers are going to experience. When I have to write new material, that slows me down, and I know I'm going to have to do another, extra edit to get back into the flow of the book -- which is frustrating!!! It has to be done -- if a scene isn't working, it has to be fixed -- but in a way I begrudge having to do it. It's like part of my brain is screaming at me: "We already did this part of the work! What the hell are you up to?!?" I'll be fine once I'm done, and I'm sure I'll be very pleased when I come back and do my next edit, having (hopefully!!!) sorted out the problems in the book. But right now I'm a bit grumpy. Ah well -- that's all part of a writer's lot! If work was TOO easy, I suppose it would get a bit boring after a while ...

Lots of you have emailed me to congratulate me on the movie news. Many thanks to everyone who's written. I have read all the emails coming in, but haven't been able to respond to many -- the new book must take precedence!!!

Saw a great film called Little Children yesterday, starring Kate Winslet. Not a kid's film, to be sure, but a very thoughtful, thought-provoking, funny and moving tale about how complicated adult life can be. Also saw the last episode of the first half of season 6 of The Sopranos. I can't wait to tear through the final few episodes, but I'm going to make myself wait for a while, to savour the anticipation. So today I started watching season 3 of Deadwood. Westerns were never like this when I was a child!!!!!

Remember that BIG news I mentioned last week? Well, here it is!!!!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm delighted to be able to announce that the Cirque Du Freak movie is due to begin filming in February 2008!!! This is the official announcement from Universal, the company making the film:

"Cirque du Freak" by Darren Shan – Movie Announcement

The "Cirque du Freak" series of bestselling children's novels by Irish author Darren Shan has been acquired by Universal Pictures and will be adapted for a motion picture of the same name.  The film is due to begin shooting in February 2008 in New Orleans under the direction of Paul Weitz (About A Boy, In Good Company), and will star John C. Reilly (Gangs of New York, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) as Larten Crepsley; Josh Hutcherson (Bridge to Terabithia) as Steve Leonard; and newcomer Chris Kelly as Darren Shan. Weitz is adapting some of the storylines from the novels for the screen.  He and Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men) will produce for their production companies, Depth of Field and The Donner's Company.

There's not much more for me to add, except -- whoopee!!!! There's no telling how the film will turn out, but I think it's in very safe, capable hands, and I'm really excited about the cast so far. I've seen Josh Hutcherson in a number of films (most recently R.V. with Robin Williams), and I've been a BIG John C Reilly fan since I saw him in Boogie Nights -- he never seems to put in anything but an excellent performance.

No release date has yet been set for the movie, so ignore any online rumours you might come across. As soon as I know anything more about that, and about other cast members, I'll include the info in the Shanville Monthly -- I plan to keep fans regularly updated over the next few months. You can also look up Cirque Du Freak on IMDB -- that's where you'll be able to find details about the crew.

I know a lot of you have been dreaming of a Cirque Du Freak movie for a number of years -- I've received emails and letters about it virtually every day since the first book was published back in January 2000! Now, at last, the dream is poised to become a reality -- hurrah!!!!! I hope you're all as psyched about the news as I am!

Of course I know, equally, that some of you aren't keen on a movie adaptation at all! All I have to say to you guys is -- tough!!!! Naw, seriously, my attitude to movie adaptations is the same as Stephen King's -- sell the rights to your stories freely, keep out of the movie side of things once you sell the rights, and keep your fingers crossed!!! King's books have probably been the source material for more bad movies than any other writer's -- but at the same time there's been The Shining, the original version of Salem's Lot, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. If I was Stephen King, I'd happily put up with a dozen stinkers if it meant being able to be associated with any one of those four films.

You never know how a movie adptation will fare. Lots of great books have been turned into terrible films, and likewise some bad books have been turned into great movies. It's a lottery. But as someone who loves films, I think it's worth taking the risk. If Cirque Du Freak becomes a great movie, I'll be there in a cinema with the rest of you, lapping it up. I love seeing my stories get to places I never thought they were, and seeing other creative minds play about with them. In Japan the manga adaptation has far surpassed my expectations, and I get a great buzz when I read each new episode, seeing my story re-interpreted and served back to me as something new. In a way, because I never actually read any of my books once they see print, reading the manga is the first time I've been able to experience the story the same way you guys have, as something fresh and surprising.

I'm hoping the movie will go as well as the manga, that they'll produce something that does the books justice, that recreates the story in a different way. It will be VERY different to the books in terms of structure and pace, but that's fine -- a good film SHOULD reinterpret and add something new to the mix. I see no point in making a film that JUST does what the book does -- in that case, nothing new is brought into the world. I WANT Universal to play around with the books and find a new way to tell the story. You never know -- they might find a BETTER way!!!! And if they don't? If the movie disappoints? If it goes the way of Eragon or The Dark Is Rising? Well, what if it does?!? I don't subscribe to the "A bad movie ruins a good book" theory -- that's just childish nonsense!!!! Raymond Chandler was once asked if he thought a bad movie had ruined his book -- he laughed, pointed to a copy of the book on his shelf, and said "The book's right there. It hasn't changed in the slightest. It's just as good as it always was."

And Chandler was right. The movie is something different, an aside, a project in a separate medium. I'll be watching developments with interest, hoping for the best, but I'm not overly concerned because, no matter what happens with it, THE BOOKS ARE STILL THERE. I know some fans don't make that distinction, that they can turn against a book if a bad film comes along. But to me that's like turning against a good song just because some crap band covers it. The Beatles have been covered by loads of awful bands over the decades, but that doesn't spoil the original songs, not as far as I'm concerned. Those songs will always be special -- if you don't like a particular cover, you simply ignore it. I take the same view with books and movies -- if someone comes along and makes a bad film out of a book I love, that doesn't turn me against the book -- I simply ignore the film!!

But hopefully I won't have to ignore Cirque Du Freak. I'm impressed by the quality of the people involved with it, and I know they're talking to other actors of a very high quality, so I've got a pretty good feeling about it. I think it could turn out to be something special. We won't know for sure until it's released, but I'm feeling a lot more positive than I might have been. The more I think about what John C Reilly might do with Mr C, the more intrigued I become. He might not be what a lot of you were expecting, but then a good movie always throws out a few surprises -- back in the early 1970s, most movie folks thought Al Pacino was completely wrong for the main lead in The Godfather -- but I don't hear too many people moaning about him now!!!!!

Oh, one final thing, to those who have been complaining about the movie being set in America. Why shouldn't it be?!? Cirque Du Freak was NEVER set anywhere specific. Some people have been saying it should be filmed in Britain -- but that's only because in their imaginations the books were set there. When I wrote CDF, I wanted it to work for readers all around the world -- if it became successful, I wanted it to be a book that ANYONE could read and relate to, ANYWHERE in the world. That's why I kept it vague, and never mentioned any country or city names. I've always been happy for publishers in different countries to give it their own slant, to use their own slang phrases, currencies, etc, to make it seem as if the story is set in THEIR country. It sounds corny, but I wanted the books to "belong" to the world. With the movie, that level of vagueness wasn't a possibility -- it HAD to be set SOMEWHERE. Even if they didn't give the places a name, people would be able to identify the setting by the accents. I know Universal considered using actors from other countries, and still are for many of the parts, but I wasn't surprised or disappointed when they opted to film it in the States and chose Americans for the leads -- I think that was always going to be the case.

Anyway, as I've said, I'm VERY excited about this, and I'll be keenly following the progress of filming (and reporting back to you lot as often as I can) over the coming months. We're moving into a whole new field with this, and for better or worse, I think it's going to be an interesting experience for all of us ...

Had a quiet Sunday. Went for a drive and to visit a Christmas store, did some stuff on the web, and watched a film -- Castle in the Sky, by Japan's fabulous Hayao Miyazaki. One of his earlier films (1986), it started a bit slowly, but built impressively, looked absolutely gorgeous, and was quirky and inventive. Like most of his films, this one comes VERY highly recommended! After that we went in to town with my friend Kenny to see the RTE 2FM 2moro 2our. It's basically three bands on a tour of Ireland, sponsored by RTE 2FM. This is the third tour, and we saw the first, which was really good. The bands didn't impress me too much this time, although one of them -- the woefully named Ham Sandwich -- were quite good. Still, it was a nice night out, and we didn't get back home and to bed (after a guilty trip to Abrakebabra!!!!) until 02.00.

Slept in late this morning and didn't do too much later, apart from answer emails, watch more of The Sopranos and Twilight Zone. Also saw the recent documentary about Wal-Mart, and how poorly they treat their employees -- fairly shocking to see a company getting away with behaviour like this, but corporate greeds runs rife throughout the world, I think, and here it seems to be at its purest and vilest. I also posted my notes for Demon Apocalypse to my web site at last. I think the notes for this one are particularly informative, as far as trying to explain how I put books together when I'm working on a series, BUT I don't recommend you read them unless you've read Demon Apocalypse, as they contain MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS!!! The link for those who've read the book is: DEMON APOCALYPSE NOTES